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Archive for the tag “#brand”

Chapter 18 of Brian Solis’ book, Engage!, focused on how brands can use the conversation prism to create the social media map perfect for their brand. He covered a lot of information this chapter so I will only touch on some quick key points.

One of the first things Solis mentions how companies were so focused on profit that they were pushing away their consumers. At that time they hadn’t realized that the long-term value of interacting with their consumers rather than leaving them to an automated machine or outsourced service lines. Solis mentions a survey authored by Jonathan Whitaker that showed directing customers to these services negatively impacted customer satisfaction. Being one of those customers, I agree with these findings. It usually makes the situation more complicated than it needs to be leaving me dissatisfied. The quote below stood out to me:

A happy customer tells several friends and an unhappy customer tells many more.

It’s so true! People are more inclined to tell their friend about how long it took to reach someone at Comcast than to speak about new channels. Solis says that sometimes brands stop seeing the customer’s viewpoint and only see the dollar signs. Taking a customer’s experience into account will give brands the opportunity to connect better with their consumers.

This connection can be strengthened by actually talking to consumers when they have a problem. I think what Solis said about brands bringing information and solutions to the conversation so that the conversation can be on their terms. I also think it was important that Solis said brands should “experience the nature, dynamic, ambience and emotion of the dialogue” instead of just talking to say you talked.

The last part of the goes into the nitty-gritty of the Conversation Prism and how brands can use it to identify where the most important conversations are, when they’re happening and how to gather this information for a presentation for the bosses.

Photo courtesy of briansolis.com

He touches on adaptation as well and how it will help your brand “evolve and increase in relevance, both online and offline.” Overall, the chapter was really informative but a lot to take in and understand upon first reading. I’ll leave you with this simple statement:

Google is always evolving and as a result, we’re always learning so we can keep up. Well, now Google has created a new feature that may have PR professionals left in the darkness. According to Michael Sebastian’s article, “3 Ways to Prepare for the Changes to Google Search .” Google’s revamped “search results, and the changes will likely affect brands.” Now when users search for certain things, the direct answer will show up on the search results page. The new search method is aimed to keep more people on Google’s page rather than sending them to other pages.

So how can PR professionals and their brands survive the change? Follow the three tips from Nick Papagiannis, director of interactive/search at Cramer-Krasselt, below:

1) Start monitoring search results more closely. Brands should keep a constant eye on where their brand shows up in the search results. This is important to monitor because Google’s information may begin to crowd out the official websites of brands.

2) Consider investing more money in paid searches. Paid searches are the results at the side or top of a Google results page. Papagiannis said companies may want to invest more in this component of their search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

3) Use the changes as an impetus to build a dedicated search team. The best way to monitor these changes is with a dedicated search team. If the new Google results kick out negative information about a client, or push websites further down the page, this team can respond quickly.

While no word has been said about when the changes will take place, at least now you have a starting point.

So what does this say about Google and their ‘neutral search engine’ title? Is it greedy for Google to want just a little more love?

Chapter 15 of Brian Solis’ book, “Engage!” was pretty interesting. The main focus of the chapter is about distinguishing yourself and the brand you represent, yet being able to bring them together. One of the first things Solis talks about is how your reputation precedes you. At one point he says, “go Google yourself” and view what you see through a stranger’s eyes. What will the results say about you? I think this is a perfect way to see what the social objects you share online say about you. He then went on to say that, “Your actions and words online are indeed extensions to how people perceived and react to the brand you represent.” This is where a lot of brands get into trouble. When your name is associated with a certain brand, your mistakes become the brand’s mistakes, which can really put a brand indirectly in hot water. This is why some brands ask employees to reframe from posting things about their political affiliation, religion, etc. While you may not intentionally say something hurtful to the brand, people will see it that way. I also enjoyed Solis’ concept about social economy and how the relationships we create online serve as the ‘currency’ individuals can invest in their personal portfolios. It’s really an easy and cool way to look at it.

Photo courtesy of demandforce.com

Another great point Solis brought up was crafting a “constant profile that conveys what it is you stand for and the value you bring to the table.” I think this is something brands should definitely pay attention to, especially when there are multiple representatives online. It all relates back to Chapter 12 and the Brand Reflection Cycle. The last point I want to bring up is how you create the foundation of your online reputation by “listening and observing where, how, and why the conversations are taking place.” From there the brand can determine “the tone and nature of the dialogue” and see where they fit in the conversation.

A great line to sum up the chapter is,

With social media comes great responsibility…

Chapter 16 focused on how with enough learning and experimenting, a brand can use social media more effectively. Solis talks about how building a presence online requires “social architecture, engineering, and empathy.” He once again stressed the importance of using these tools to build bridges between the brand and its publics by using channels such as Facebook and LinkedIn for “listening, learning, and participating.”

A statement that really stood out to me was when Solis said, “As social media becomes accepted and practiced industry-wide, change will also stem from outside pressure.” I think we’ve already begun to see this within the last few months with the rejection of SOPA and Susan G. Komen’s reverse decision regarding Planned Parenthood.

One of the last points I want to bring up is one that I think is essential for brands to learn. Solis says, “It’s a matter of “being human” versus “humanizing the story.” He says not to necessary carry your brand as just anyone, but to humanize your brand enough that people can relate and sympathize with it. The brand has to know how to balance distinguishing themselves as a brand while not alienating themselves from their public.

Brands have to remember,

You are the voice, spirit, and mind of the brand and the people and culture that define it.

Both of these chapters had great information for brands and their reputations.

Since Chapter 12 of “Engage!” focused on companies creating their online identity, I thought Christine Erickson’s article, “20 Facebook Page Cover Photos to Inspire Your Brand,” would be a nice follow-up blog topic. Facebook recently unveiled the new Timeline for brands and companies are wasting no time in implementing new strategies. Now, when a potential consumer goes to a brand’s Facebook, their first impression of the brand is going to be their cover picture, right? Yes, so that means companies now have another opportunity to make a social media impression. Companies have to ask themselves: What do we want to show our page visitors in the first 45 seconds we have their attention? While the timeline cover photo is not the most important thing to a brand’s identity, it can make the difference on whether the viewer is intrigued enough to go further.

These are some of my standouts from the list.

Photo courtesy of Coca-Cola

Photo courtesy of Coldplay

Photo courtesy of Toyota

Photo courtesy of Lexus

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

Photo courtesy of Kate Spade

Photo courtesy of Sports Center

Pretty cool pictures, right? Tell me your favorite in the comments.

My message to the brands out there: Get creative and make those 45 seconds count!